The faces of the ladies listening to my message revealed a variety of reactions. As I spoke about the condition of the heart that is hidden, I could detect nods of affirmation, frowns of reflection, smiles of acknowledgment and sad eyes of sorrow.
I told them about my own journey through the game of hide and seek that we play as adults. Hiding our real selves from our family, friends and even God. I could see the ladies relating to my stories about hiding behind fear, pain, anger or bitterness as I spoke. Some of them approached me afterward and patted my hand.
"I have been hiding too." Some would say.
We all hide. We all want to protect our hearts, our feelings, our ideals. But at what cost? I told the ladies that they couldn't live an abundant life through the keyhole of a hiding place. And you can't be a seeker if you are a hider.
We have a choice to make. Will we risk some pain to reach our full potential? Or will we plaster on that smile, pretending no one will notice that we are hiding our true selves from them?
God has designed us all to do something wonderful. It's never too late to discover what that might be. But we must leave our hiding places behind to explore the possibilities.
What are you hiding behind? Are you afraid to show us the real you? Don't be...we will still like you!
Jan, this is great! I really appreciate your insight to importance of transparency. It's interesting how self-preservation can cripple us from experiencing a truly abundant life. God bless you, Hester ;)
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